Machine for dressing bolts or bolt-blanks



(No Model.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 1 W. E. WARD. MAUHINE FOR DRE$$ING BOLTS 0R BOLT BLANKS.

Patented Sept.,17, 1889.

FIG. i.

INVENTUR N, PETERS. PhclwLilhognghnr. Washington. 04 c,

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

W. E. WARD. MACHINE FOR DRESSING BOLTS 0R BOLT BLANKS.

No. 411.271. Patented Sept. 17, 1889.

I D N o o uh,

I II Ill 0 l I 1) It' E (I. L I [1 E 1 1 6, 5552 H l I I; I g

n 1: 1 IIIIIIIHHI P a 2 m w o go no INVENTUR;

WITNESSES- N. PE'IERS, Plmioiillmghpher. Washingion. D. c.

4 Sheets-Sheet 3 (No Model.)

W. E. WARD. MACHINE FOE DRESSING BOLTS OR BOLT BLANKS.

Patented Sept. 17,.1889.

INVENTOR.

WITNESSES.

N. PEYERS. Pholn-l'nhngraphun Washington. 0.0.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

W. E. WARD. MACHINE FOR DRESSING BOLTS 0R BOLT BLANKS.

BIO/411,271. Patented Sept. 17, 1889;

FIE.

INVENTOR- Ill: 11 1 A 91414114 I aam/ 2 WW4,

N PETER? Phula-Uthognpher. Washinglon. 04 c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM E. \VARD, OF PORT CHESTER, NEYV YORK.

MACHINE FOR DRESSING BOLTS OR BOLT-BLAN KS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 411,271, dated September 17, 1889.

Application filed June 27, 1 8 89.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM E. W ARD, of Port Chester, in the county of Vestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Operating upon Bolt-llanks; and I do hereby declare the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same, to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

The drawings hereinafter described represent the essential parts of a machine for dressing the heads of bolt-blanks that have already been threaded, to which my improvements are specially applicable. It is not essential, however, that the machinery for oper ating upon the blanks should be confined to dressing their heads, inasmuch as the imp rovements hereinafter described, with the exception of that shown at Figures 10 and 11, are applicable to machines which are intended to thread or to point bolt-blanks, and which machines, while such operations are to be performed, are required by means of a pair of holding-jaws to grip and hold the blank firmly during the operations of head-dressin g, pointing, or threading.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 represents a side view of a machine embodying the improvements. Fig. 2 shows a top yiew of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 represent views of opposite ends of the machine. Fig. 5 shows a side view of the cam for raising the hopper which holds the mass of blanks. Fig. 6 represents a top view of the rolls that are located at the bottom of the hopper, the frame in which they are mounted to revolve, and a portion of the conveyer to which the blanks pass from said rolls, the hopper being removed from said frame and portions of the frame being broken away. Fig. 7 shows a transverse section of the hopper, the rolls, and the frame in which they are mounted on lineoc 0;, Fig. 6. Fig. 8 represents a front view of the jaws for holding the blanks and a portion of the mechanism for operating the jaws, Fig. 9 represents a vertical section on line 1/ y, Fig. 4, showing the cam for closing the jaws and the arm that the cam operates. Figs. 10 and 11 show in two different positions the tool for shaving the heads of the blanks an d the holder Serial No. 315,718. (No model.)

on which the tool is mounted, the block in which the holder is placed being shown in section.

The first part of my invention has reference to means for separating the blanks from a mass, arranging them in a row suspended by their heads, and delivering them to a raceway, from which they can be subsequently taken one at a time to be delivered to the holding or gripping jaws, where they are retained while the subsequent operation of head dressing, end-pointing, or threading is to be performed upon them by appropriate mechanism.

The operation of arranging in a row articles as large as bolt-blanks of ordinary size is very difficult to be performed mechanically. Especially is this so if the blanks have been threaded and are to be delivered to machinery for having their heads dressed. The wellknown mechanisms for selecting wood-screw blanks from a mass, which have been in use for many years, are quite inadequate to operate successfully upon bolt-blanks the sizes of which are from three-sixteenths to five-eighths of an inch in diameter, and are frequently provided with squared portions under the head of from three-eighths of an inch to three (3) inches in length.

In the several figures of the drawings, A represents a hopper, into which a quantity of blanks are tumbled in a mass. The side Walls of the hopperare preferably made to converge toward the open space between two rollers 1 and 2, as shown in Fig.7. The space B, Figs. 2 and 6, between the rollersis enough to allow the shank of a blank, whether threaded or not, easily to pass througl1,but not enough to allow a passage of the heads of the blanks. The surfaces of these rollers 1 and 2 are corrugated or furnished with depressions or grooves b, as shown in Figs. 2, 6, and 7, though the rollers may have raised ribsinstead of grooves. I prefer that these corrugations, grooves, or ribs shall be spirally arranged and oppositely inclined, as shown, so that they shall have a tendency (as the rollers revolve in directions opposite to each other, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 6, and as required by the manner in which they are shown to be geared in that figure) to draw Fig. 6.

the blanks which are resting upon the rollers away from the delivery-conduit 3, leading from the space between the rollers to the raceway 4, (shown at Figs. 1 and 6,) andthus break up the tendency of the blanks to jam. Itis not indispensable, however, that this spiral arrangement should be preserved. It will be sufficient for thepurpose of giving an agitation to the blanks restingupon the rollers if there be depressions or elevations upon the surface of such rollers. This agitation will generally be sufficient to break up any disposition of the blanks to pack upon each other. It is a fact, too, that the apparatus will work as a part of the selecting and delivering mechanism in case the surfaces of the rollers should be smooth; butthe operation is not nearly so satisfactory as it will be if the surfaces of the rollers are corrugated or broken up into depressions and elevations, preferably spirally arranged, so as to inducea'constant rattling of the blanks to prevent them from packing.

As indicated in the drawings, a pulley 5, which is made fast to the axle of the roller 2, which axle also carries a toothed wheel 6, secured thereto, gives rotation to the roller in the direction of the arrow indicated in The toothed wheel 6 meshes with a toothed wheel 7, secured to the axle of the roller 1, and causes said roller to revolve in an opposite direction, as indicated by its arrow. The toothed wheels 6 and 7 may be of the same size; but I prefer to make them of different diameters, so that the rollers shall be driven at different speeds and the mass of blanks be thereby more thoroughly broken up. a The pulley 5 is driven by a belt 8, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, which obtains move ment from the large pulley 9 on the driving-shaft 10, and the belt is guided over the two idler-pulleys 11, as shown in said figures.

The frame-work 12, in which the rollers are mounted, is shown in side view at Fig. 1. This frame-work, with the hopper A surrounding it, may have a fixed downward inclination toward the raceway 4; but the frame-work is preferably hinged upon pivots 13, (shown at Figs. 1 and 4,) so that it and the hopper can be vibrated in a vertical plane, and thereby occupy different positions, as shown by full lines, and as indicated by dotted lines at Fig. 1, the better to effect a disentanglement of the mass of blanks. A vibratory movement is given to the frame and hopper by any suit able and preferred means.

In the drawings the movement of the frame and hopper in one direction is shown as being produced through the connecting-rod 14, the hinged arm 15, the pin or link 16, and the bell-crank lever 17, Figs. 1 and 3, which lever is operated by a cam 18, Figs. 1, 3, and 5, on the driving-shaft 10. WVhen the cam ceases to act to elevate the frame and hopper, the force of gravity causes them to vibrate in the opposite direction. The belt Sis kept taut upon the pulleys 5 and 9,regardless of the position of the frame-work and hopper, by the weight 19, which pulls upon the short arm of the bell-crank lever 20, upon the longer arm of which the idler-pulleys 11 are mounted. Any suitable means may be used, however, for this purpose. It will thus be seen that the blanks in the hopper are vibrated upward and downward, with a considerable jar to the mass, as the result of the action of the cam 18 in one direction and of the fall by gravity of the hopper, frame-work, and rollers in the opposite direction. This jarring movement operates to shake up the mass of blanks resting upon the rollers, and at the same time the rotation of the rollers in opposite directions gives the mass a further opportunity of dis-- integration, so that more or less of the blanks will fall points downward into the space B between the rollers 1 and 2, and there hang by their heads, as indicated at Figs. 2, 4, and

7. Those blanks which are so hanging between the rollers and are under theinfluence of the ribbed or depressed portions of the rollers are kept in agitation, and thereby influence the superimposed blanks resting upon them in the hopper to arrange themselves in position for entering the space B. Preferably the grooves, depressions, or ribs on the rollers terminate short of the right-hand or delivery end of the rollers, as shown in Fig. 6, so that those blanks which are hanging by their heads on the rollers at said end in readiness to pass into the raceway shall not be disturbed by such depressions or ribs when the frame-work and hopper have been tilted to the position shown by full lines in Fig. 1. lVhen the hopper has been tilted to such a position, all those blanks which are in front of the ribs or depressions in the rollers will slide by gravity down into the raceway 4, in readiness to be taken one by one for subsequent operations to be performed upon them.

I have shown and described the rollers 1 and 2 as both revolving in opposite directions to each other, and consider this construction preferable; but the mechanism will accomplish the purpose of separating and arranging the blanks if only one of the rollers be made to revolve. In such case its fellow or stationary member may be cylindrical or any other suitable form in cross-section, its only office being in such case to co-operate with the revolving member to sustain the blanks by their heads while their shanks are occupying the space B between the two members. After the blanks have passed down the raceway 4 they are to be taken one by one by transferring mechanism, so as to be presented to holding or gripping jaws for the purpose of having some subsequent operation performed upon them, which operation may be the dressing of the head, the pointing of the end, or the threading of the shank. The mechanism which I employ to make this transfer of the blanks one by one to the holdingjaws may be understood to be substantially IIO the same as that shown in the Letters Patent heretofore granted to me December 7, 1886, No. 353,902, and need not therefore be herein described.

The transferring-fingers are indicated at 21, Fig. 8, and are the same as those represented in my said former patent. In said patent, however, one of the holding or gripping jaws which are to receive the blank from the transferring-fingers is made stationary and the other is made movable. If the blanks are always of uniform size, this arrangement of the jaws is quite sufficient; but in case the blanks are irregular in size-as, for example, some are of too great diameter it will follow that if one of the jaws is stationary and the other movable the true axis of the blank will be out of line with the axis of the shaving, pointing, or threading tool which is to operate upon the blank.

The second feature of my invention relates to obviating this difficulty. For this purpose I have constructed and mounted the grippingjaws so that both members shall be movable and shall approach toward and move away from a line which coincides with the axis of the tool that is to perform a subsequent operation upon the blank. \Vith this construction it is immaterial whether the blanks run with exact uniformity or not, for the reason that both jaws being movable by equal distances from the same common line the true axis of the blank will coincide with the axis of the shaving, pointing, or threading tool.

The mechanism for operatingthegrippingjaws so as to give them a positive movement in both directions is clearly shown at Figs. 4 and S. The jaws 22 and 23 are respectively pivoted to a fulcrum-plate 2t at c c, Fig. 8. The tails of these jaws are spread outwardly from each other, as indicated at D. Midway between the tails of the jaws is locatedacam E, which has two projecting salient faces 25 and 26 opposite to each other, and this cam is made to vibrate or rock 011 its axis at appointed times by means of the cam F, Fig. 4, operating upon the friction-roller 27 of the pivoted lever 28, and through the link 29, which is pivoted to the arm 30, secured at one end to the cam E.

It is obvious that when the cam E is rocked,

so that the salient faces 25 26 will act to press outward the tails of the gripping-jaws, the jaws themselves will be moved toward each other and take a grip upon a blank which has been placed in proper position between their holding-faces by the transferring-fingers 21.

The means for positively opening the jaws consist of a plate G, attached to the cam E and having two eccentric slots 31 32, into which project pins or studs 34, located Oi) upon the tail ends of the jaws. The cam F has a groove 35 upon one side, (shown by (lot ted lines at Fig. 4,) in which runs a roller 36, mounted upon an arm 37, attached to the lever 28. This cam-groove serves to raise the free end of the lever 28, and thereby to swing the plate G from the position shown in Fig. 4: to that shown in Fig. 8, the eccentric slots 31 32 by their action upon the pins 33 causing the tail ends of the jaws to approach each other and the jaws themselves to separate to release the blank.

In order that no damage shall be done should anything interfere with the opening and closing of the jaws, provision is made against a breakage of the jaws under such circumstances. For this purpose the upper end of the link 20 is pivoted to a bar 38, which bar is pivoted at d to a lug 39, depending from the lever 23, and a safetypin a0 is driven through the bar 38 and lug 39, thereby making them immovable with relation to each other under ordinary circumstances. If, however, anything should prevent the proper closing or opening of the jaws, the pin 40,being of small diameter, would be cut off and damage to the other parts be avoided. In place of employing the bar 38 and lug 39, however, the link 29 may be lengthened and its upper end be pivoted directly to the lever 28 by a safety-pin, as will be readily understood.

In my former Letters Patent hereinbefore referred to the position of the blank in the gripping-jaws or the relation of the head of the blank to the adjacent face of the jaws was determined by gage mechanism, .which was made to operate againstthe under side of the head of the blank. The transferringfingers placed the blank in the jaws with its head too near the inner face of the jaws and the gage moved the blank longitudinally through the jaws toward the head-dressing tool to the proper position to be acted upon by said tool.

In the present instance I determine the position of the blank by a gage applied to the top of the head of the blank, thereby simpli fying the machine. The transfer-fingers place the blank in the gripping-jaws with too great a distance between the head of the blank and the adjacent faces of the jaws. An adjustable gage-screw h is placed in the end or face of the head-dressing-tool block H, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the said screw being in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the blank during the time the toolblock is being moved forward toward the jaws preparatory to swinging in the arc of a circle on the pivot 41 to bring the head-shaving tool 42 up to its work. During the latter part of this forward movement of the tool-block (which movement is accomplished in the same manner asdescribed in my said Letters Patent) the gagescrew It comes into contact with the top of the head of the blank, as shown in Fig. 10, and pushes the head of the blank toward the jaws until it is in proper position to be dressed. The forward movement of the tool-block then ceases and the rod 43 moves forward. The inclined or rounded face at of this rod acts upon the tool-block and brings the tool 42 up to its work and causes it to dress the head of the blank, the gage-screw h swinging out of the way, as shown in Fig. 11. After the headdressing has been completed the tool-block swings back to its former position and the gage-screw is in alignment with the blank, in readiness, when the block again moves longitudinally toward the gripping-jaws, to gage the position of the next subsequent blank.

In my former Letters Patent, to which reference has hereinbefore been made, the toolblock was pivoted at its rear end in its holder and the rod which caused the tool to swing up to its work acted upon an inclined plane located near the front end of the tool-holder. This construction left the tool-block unsupported between its pivotal point and such inclined plane, so that the tool was liable to chatter when performing its work. To avoid this, I have in the present instance pivoted the tool-block at or near its center to its holder 45 by the pin etl, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11, and have caused the inclined or curved portion 44: on the rod 43 to act upon the rear or tail portion 46 of the block, thereby obtaining a support for the tool-block at a point between its ends and securing greater steadiness for the tool while performing its office of shaving the bolt-head. After the shaving of the bolt-head has been effected the tool-block is moved longitudinally backward from the gripping-jaws which hold the blank by mechanism similar to that shown and described in my patent hereinbefore mentioned, orby any suitable means, and the gripping-jaws are both opened in directions opposite to each other by the action of the eccentric slots 31 32 in the plate G, as hereinbefore explained, and the bolt-blank is discharged from the machine by gravity.

As the bolt-blank is liable to stick to either of the gripping-jaws, owing to its being more or less gummed with oil, I have attached to the frame of the machine and in the rear of the holding portions of the jaws two stationary stripping-plates 47 and 48, as shown in Figs. 2 and 8, the adjacent ends of which are sufliciently separated to allowa bolt-blank to be passed between them by the transferringfingers into a position to be gripped by the holding-jaws. Then the jaws recede from each other in opening, if the blank sticks to either of said jaws it will come into engagement with that stripping-plate in the rear of said jaw, and will be cleared from the jaw, so it can fall from the machine into a receptacle placed to receive it.

WVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the raceway for conveying a series of headed blanks, of a hopper located at the top of said raceway for holding the blanks in mass and mechanism, substantially as described, located at the bottom of the hopper for engaging the lowermost blanks of the mass and causing them to arrange themselves in alignment with the raceway, and sustaining such arranged blanks by their heads preparatory to their passing into the raceway, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the raceway for conveying a series of headed blanks, of a hopper located at the top of said raceway for holding the blanks in mass and a pair of rollers located at the bottom of the hopper for engaging the lowermost blanks of the mass and causing them to arrange themselves in alignment with the raceway, and sustaining such arranged blanks by their heads preparatory to their passing into the raceway, substantially as set forth.

The combination, with the raceway for conveying a series of headed blanks, of a hopper located at the top of the raceway for holding the blanks in mass and a pair of rollers or agitators at the bottom of the hopper,

which are furnished with grooves or ribs for I engaging the lowermost blanks of the mass and causing them to arrange themselves in alignment with the raceway, and sustaining such arranged blanks by their heads preparatory to their passing into the raceway, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the raceway, of a hopper for holding the headed blanks in mass and a pair of rollers located at the bottom of the hopper and having grooves or ribs spirally arranged thereon, the said rollers being separated by a space suflicient to allow the shanks of the blanks to pass between them, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. The combination, with the raceway, of a hopper for holding the headed blanks in mass and a pair of rollers located at the bottom of the hopper and having grooves or ribs spirally arranged thereon, which grooves or ribs terminate short of the delivery ends of said blanks to pass between them, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

6. The combination, with the raceway for conveying a series of headed blanks,-of a hopper located at the top of said raceway for holding the blanks in mass, mechanism, substantially as described, located at the bottom of the hopper for engaging the lowermost' blanks of the mass and causing them to arrange themselves in alignment with the raceway and sustaining them by their heads preparatory to their passing into the raceway, and means for vibrating said hopper and blank-sustaining mechanism in a vertical plane, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

7. The combination, with the raceway, of a hopper for holding the blanks in mass, a frame to which the hopper is secured, a pair of rollers or agitators located at the bottom of the hopper and mounted to revolvein said frame and geared to each other, so as to rotate at different speeds, mechanism for Vibrating the hopper and frame in a vertical plane, a belt for driving said rollers or agitators, and a take-up for the belt to keep it taut during the vibrating movements of the hopper, substantially as set forth.

8. A pair of gripping-jaws for holding the blanks to be operated upon, both of which jaws are pivoted, so as to be movable toward and from each other, combined with mechanism, substantially as described, for opening both jaws at the same time in directions opposite to each other, means for feeding blanks one by one to said jaws, and a tool for operating upon the blanks, substantially as set forth.

9. A pair of gripping-jaws for holding the blanks to be operated upon, both of which jaws are pivoted, so as to be movable toward and from each other, combined with mechanism, substantially as described, for opening and closing both jaws at the same time, means for feeding blanks one by one to said jaws, and a tool for operating upon the blanks, substantially as set forth.

10. The combination, with a pair of gripping-jaws for holding the blanks to be operated upon,both of which jaws are pivoted,so as to be movable toward and from each other, of mechanism, substantially as described, for opening and closing both of said jaws,a safety-pin securing parts of said mechanism to each other, means for feeding blanks one by one to said jaws, and a tool for operating upon the blanks, substantially as set forth.

11. The combination, with a pair of gripping-jaws for holding the blanks to be operated upon, of a tool block and holder arranged, as described to be moved toward and away from said jaws and an adjustable gage located on the forward end of the tool-holder to engage the top surface of the head of the blank in said jaws and push the blank toward the jaws, and thereby regulate the position of said head relative to the jaws, substantially as set forth.

12. The combination, with the tool-block holder, of the tool-block pivoted at a point between its ends to the holder and the sliding rod arranged, as described, to operate upon the tail end of the tool-block to bring the tool up to its Work, whereby greater steadiness of the tool-holder and tool is secured,

substantially as set forth.

13. The combination,witha pair of jaws for gripping the blanks and holding them to be op" erated upon, both of which jaws are movable to and from each other, of a pair of stationary stripping-plates, one for each jaw, for clearing a blank from either jaw in case the blank sticks therein when the j aws are opened, substantially as set forth.

WILLIAM E. WARD.

- Witnesses:

J OSEPH H. MARsHALL, HOWARD E. MARSHALL. 

